After finding three rabid Raccoons in Central Park within weeks, the Health Department has issued a warning for visitors to remain vigilant for infected animals. (Flickr user Alan Vernon)By Gabriela Resto-Montero
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
City health officials are warning Central Park vistors to stay away from raccoons after finding a three of the animals infected with rabies in the past two weeks.
The infected critter brought the 2009 total for rabid animals in Manhattan to four, a much higher figure than in the previous six years combined.
Between 2003 and 2009, only one other rabid animal was found in Manhattan, according to the Health Department.
Rabies is so rare in Manhattan wildlife that the department suspects a carrier Raccoon came from elsewhere, according to Dr. Sally Slavinsky, public health veterinarian with the department.
The city hasn't had a human infection of rabies since 1953, according to the Health Department. Park workers are on heightened surveillance for sick animals and visitors are encouraged to be on the lookout for strange animal behavior.
Visitors who notice animals that may be infected should contact 311 immediately.
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